Getty Conflicting reports have emerged about the future of general manager Ryan Pace of the Chicago Bears.
Reports about the futures of Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace have been flying around like errant Frisbees in recent weeks — and the latest two are going in opposite directions.
According to Johnathan Jones of CBS Sports, Pace may be more tied to Nagy than some initially thought, and his days could be numbered in the Windy City. But Bears insider Hub Arkush of Shaw Media told those expecting Pace to be fired if/when Nagy gets his walking papers at the end of the regular season need to slow their roll.
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Report #1 Says Pace is a Goner
Jones, who is not a Bears insider, is getting info from his sources that suggests Pace and Nagy are both done in Chicago, and he says both of their roles will be sought after ones.
“Whether it happens today, or tomorrow, or any day between now and Jan. 10 following the final game of the regular season, Bears head coach Matt Nagy will be relieved of his duties in Chicago,” Jones wrote on November 26. “It’s likely that general manager Ryan Pace will meet a similar fate, and it’ll be the dawn of a new era in the Windy City. With more than a month left in the regular season, the Bears job — either one of them — seems like it’ll be the best one on the market. That’s the overwhelming response I’ve gotten from sources around the league and coaches and personnel execs gear up for a new hiring/firing cycle.”
Jones then shared what would make the Bears’ GM position so attractive to potential candidates:
“Chicago would offer a clean slate for a new GM and head coach. It has the quarterback of the future already in place on a rookie contract, plus some quality veteran pieces to fill in around. Ownership isn’t known to meddle, meaning the folks hired for the job can simply do their job. And with Aaron Rodgers very likely on his way out of Green Bay, the NFC North would be up for grabs. Being considered for either job would be a boon for any coach or personnel member, and the Chicago job is going to be No. 1 on a lot of lists this winter.”
But Bears insider Hub Arkush shared some very different information.
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Report #2: Arkush Says Pace May Stick Around
In a December 1 appearance on 670 The Score’s Bernstein & Rahimi Show, Arkush, who has been a Bears insider for the last several decades, said that while Nagy could very well be fired, Pace could stick around to make that announcement.
“I don’t think his job has ever been in jeopardy up to this point,” Arkush said about Pace. “I really don’t think it is, based on what I’m hearing from my sources. … I don’t think there’s a serious want right now in Halas Hall to move on from Ryan Pace.”
Pace has led the team to just one winning season and no playoff wins since becoming GM in 2015, but Arkush says he could get to pick his third head coach after Nagy and John Fox.
“If (Bears chairman) George McCaskey has made up his mind, I don’t think anybody knows,” Arkush said about the team’s decision on Pace’s future, adding: “He may not have made up his mind.”
It sure sounds like there could be a lot riding on the final six games for the Chicago Bears.
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